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President of South Korea
}} |insignia = Seal of the President of the Republic of Korea.svg |insigniasize = 110px |insigniacaption = The Presidential Seal |flag = Flag of the President of South Korea.svg |flagsize = 125px |flagcaption = Presidential Standard |department = Executive branch of the Government of South Korea Presidential Secretariat (South Korea) |status = Head of State Head of Government |abbreviation = POSK |member_of = State Council National Security Council National Unification Advisory Council |residence = Blue House |seat = Seoul, South Korea |nominator = Political Parties |appointer = Direct popular vote |style = Mr. President ( (informal) His Excellency ( ) (diplomatic) |termlength = Five years; |termlength_qualified = Not eligible for re-election |constituting_instrument = South Korean constitution |image = Moon Jae-in 2017-10-01.jpg |incumbent = Moon Jae-in |incumbentsince = 10 May 2017 |inaugural = Syngman Rhee |formation = *Provisional Government: 11 September 1919 *First Republic: 24 July 1948 |salary = ₩225,000,000 ($211,000) |deputy = Prime Minister of South Korea |website = english.president.go.kr president.go.kr}} The President of the Republic of Korea ( |rr=Daehan Minguk Daetongnyeong}}) is, according to the South Korean Constitution, the Head of State, the Head of Government, the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, the Chairperson of the Cabinet, and the Chief Executive of the Government. The Constitution and the amended Presidential Election Act of 1987 provide for election of the president by direct, secret ballot, ending sixteen years of indirect presidential elections under the preceding two governments. The president is directly elected to a five-year term, with no possibility of re-election.Article 70 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. If a presidential vacancy should occur, a successor must be elected within sixty days, during which time presidential duties are to be performed by the prime minister or other senior cabinet members in the order of priority as determined by law. While in office, the chief executive lives in Cheong Wa Dae (the "Blue House"), and is exempt from criminal liability (except for insurrection or treason). Moon Jae-in, former human rights lawyer and chief of staff to then-President Roh Moo-hyun, assumed post of President of South Korea on 10 May 2017 immediately upon being elected with a plurality of 41.1%, in contrast to 24.0% and 21.4% won by his major opponents, conservative Hong Joon-pyo and centrist Ahn Cheol-soo, respectively. Powers and duties of the president Chapter 3 of the South Korean constitution states the duties and the powers of the president. The president is required to: * uphold the Constitution * preserve the safety and homeland of South Korea * work for the peaceful reunification of Korea, typically act as the Chairperson of the National Unification Advisory Council Also, the president is given the powers: * as the head of the executive branch of government * as the commander-in-chief of the South Korean military * to declare war * to hold referendum regarding issues of national importance * to issue executive orders * to issue medals in honor of service for the nation * to issue pardons * to declare a state of emergency suspending all laws or enacting a state of martial law * to veto bills (subject to a two thirds majority veto override by the National Assembly)Article 53 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. If the National Assembly votes against a presidential decision, it will be declared void immediately. The president may refer important policy matters to a national referendum, declare war, conclude peace and other treaties, appoint senior public officials, and grant amnesty (with the concurrence of the National Assembly). In times of serious internal or external turmoil or threat, or economic or financial crises, the president may assume emergency powers "for the maintenance of national security or public peace and order." Emergency measures may be taken only when the National Assembly is not in session and when there is no time for it to convene. The measures are limited to the "minimum necessary." The 1987 Constitution removed the 1980 Constitution's explicit provisions that empowered the government to temporarily suspend the freedoms and rights of the people. However, the president is permitted to take other measures that could amend or abolish existing laws for the duration of a crisis. It is unclear whether such emergency measures could temporarily suspend portions of the Constitution itself. Emergency measures must be referred to the National Assembly for concurrence. If not endorsed by the assembly, the emergency measures can be revoked; any laws that had been overridden by presidential order regain their original effect. In this respect, the power of the legislature is more vigorously asserted than in cases of ratification of treaties or declarations of war, in which the Constitution simply states that the National Assembly "has the right to consent" to the president's actions. In a change from the 1980 Constitution, the 1987 Constitution stated that the president is not permitted to dissolve the National Assembly. Related constitutional organs The official residence of the president is Cheong Wa Dae. It means 'the House of the Blue Roof Tiles', so it is also called the "Blue House" in English. The president is assisted by the staff of the Presidential Secretariat, headed by a cabinet-rank secretary general. Apart from the State Council, or cabinet, the chief executive relies on several constitutional organs. These constitutional organs included the National Security Council, which provided advice concerning the foreign, military, and domestic policies bearing on national security. Chaired by the president, the council in 1990 had as its statutory members the prime minister, the deputy prime minister, the ministers for foreign affairs, home affairs, finance, and national defense, the director of the Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP) which was known as the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) until December 1980, and others designated by the president. Another important body is the National Unification Advisory Council, inaugurated in June 1981 under the chairpersonship of the president. From its inception, this body had no policy role, but rather appeared to serve as a government sounding board and as a means to disburse political rewards by providing large numbers of dignitaries and others with titles and opportunities to meet periodically with the president and other senior officials. The president also was assisted in 1990 by the Audit and Inspection Board. In addition to auditing the accounts of all public institutions, the board scrutinized the administrative performance of government agencies and public officials. Its findings were reported to the president and the National Assembly, which itself had broad powers to inspect the work of the bureaucracy under the provisions of the Constitution. Board members were appointed by the president. One controversial constitutional organ was the Advisory Council of Elder Statesmen, which replaced a smaller body in February 1988, just before Roh Tae Woo was sworn in as president. This body was supposed to be chaired by the immediate former president; its expansion to eighty members, broadened functions, and elevation to cabinet rank made it appear to have been designed, as one Seoul newspaper said, to "preserve the status and position of a certain individual." The government announced plans to reduce the size and functions of this body immediately after Roh's inauguration. Public suspicions that the council might provide former President Chun with a power base within the Sixth Republic were rendered moot when Chun withdrew to an isolated Buddhist temple in self-imposed exile in November 1988. Latest election Order of succession Article 71 of the Constitution of South Korea states, 'In the event of the president not being able to discharge the duties of his/her office, the Prime Minister and ministers in line of the order of succession shall be the acting president.' Article 68 of the Constitution requires the acting president to hold new elections within 60 days. According to article 12, section 2 and article 22, section 1 of the Government Organization Act, order of succession follows: * Prime Minister * Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance * Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education * Minister of Science and ICT * Minister of Foreign Affairs * Minister of Unification * Minister of Justice * Minister of National Defense * Minister of Government Administration and Home Affairs * Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism * Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs * Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy * Minister of Health and Welfare * Minister of Environment * Minister of Employment and Labor * Minister of Gender Equality and Family * Minister of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs * Minister of Oceans and Fisheries List of presidents ImageSize = width:830 height:auto barincrement:12 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = late DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1948 till:01/01/2020 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1948 Colors = id:con value:red legend:Conservative id:lib value:blue legend:Liberal id:linemark value:gray(0.8) id:decade value:gray(0.9) BarData= bar:RheeSM bar:Yun bar:ParkCH bar:Choi bar:Chun bar:RohTW bar:KimYS bar:KimDJ bar:RohMH bar:LeeMB bar:ParkGH bar:Moon PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till bar:RheeSM from: 24/07/1948 till: 26/04/1960 color:con text:"Syngman Rhee" fontsize:10 bar:Yun from: 13/08/1960 till: 22/03/1962 color:lib text:"Yun Posun" fontsize:10 bar:ParkCH from: 17/12/1963 till: 26/10/1979 color:con text:"Park Chung-hee" fontsize:10 bar:Choi from: 06/12/1979 till: 16/08/1980 color:con text:"Choi Kyu-hah" fontsize:10 bar:Chun from: 01/09/1980 till: 24/02/1988 color:con text:"Chun Doo-hwan" fontsize:10 bar:RohTW from: 25/02/1988 till: 24/02/1993 color:con text:"Roh Tae-woo" fontsize:10 bar:KimYS from: 25/02/1993 till: 24/02/1998 color:con text:"Kim Young-sam" fontsize:10 bar:KimDJ from: 25/02/1998 till: 24/02/2003 color:lib text:"Kim Dae-jung" fontsize:10 bar:RohMH from: 25/02/2003 till: 24/02/2008 color:lib text:"Roh Moo-hyun" fontsize:10 bar:LeeMB from: 25/02/2008 till: 24/02/2013 color:con text:"Lee Myung-bak" fontsize:10 bar:ParkGH from: 25/02/2013 till: 10/03/2017 color:con text:"Park Geun-hye" fontsize:10 bar:Moon from: 10/05/2017 till: 31/12/2019 color:lib text:"Moon Jae-in" fontsize:10 Legend = columns:3 left:150 top:65 columnwidth:200 TextData = pos:(25,70) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:"Political parties:" *'Rhee Syngman 1st–3rd term' (served: 1948–1960) *'Yun Posun 4th term' (served: 1960–1962) *'Park Chung-hee 5th–9th term' (served: 1963–1979) *'Choi Kyu-hah 10th term' (served: 1979–1980) *'Chun Doo-hwan 11th & 12th term' (served: 1980–1988) *'Roh Tae-woo' 13th term''' (served: 1988–1993) *'Kim Young-sam 14th term' (served: 1993–1998) *'Kim Dae-jung 15th term' (served: 1998–2003) *'Roh Moo-hyun 16th term' (served: 2003–2008) *'Lee Myung-bak 17th term' (served: 2008–2013) *'Park Geun-hye 18th term' (served: 2013–2017) *'Moon Jae-in 19th term' (2017–present) Living former presidents As of , four former presidents are alive: The longest-lived President was Yun Bo-seon, who died on 18 July 1990 (at the age of ). The most recent President to die was Kim Young-sam, who died on 22 November 2015 (at the age of ). Every living former President has served, or is currently serving, a prison sentence.www.aei.org/publication/south-koreas-troubling-history-of-jailing-ex-presidents/ There is even a rumour that the former presidents of South Korea will never have a good ending. See also * Air transports of heads of state and government#South Korea * Official state car#South Korea * List of Presidents of South Korea * List of Presidents of South Korea by time in office * Politics of South Korea * Elections in South Korea * National Unification Advisory Council * Prime Minister of South Korea * List of monarchs of Korea * Governor-General of Korea * First Lady of South Korea * Vice President of South Korea * List of leaders of North Korea References * U.S. Library of Congress Country Studies External links *Official Website of the President of the Republic of Korea *Former President Archives *Former President Archives Category:Government of South Korea Category:Presidents of South Korea